[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/ethiopia-the-land-of-dust-is-where-you-get-spoiled-by-beauty-and-history\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/ethiopia-the-land-of-dust-is-where-you-get-spoiled-by-beauty-and-history\/","headline":"Ethiopia, the land of \u2018dust\u2019, is where you get spoiled by beauty and history","name":"Ethiopia, the land of \u2018dust\u2019, is where you get spoiled by beauty and history","description":"With the pandemic halting travel plans, many have turned to ‘virtual travelling’ to sate their wanderlust. For those yearning to catch a glimpse of other pockets of the world, TheHomeGround Asia brings you on a journey in Through the Eyes… . In this installation, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Social Service […]","datePublished":"2021-06-23","dateModified":"2021-06-25","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/ler-jun-sng\/#Person","name":"Ler Jun Sng","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/ler-jun-sng\/","identifier":320,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96c2c5ed54668ff02cc041326a58a56424181d9285b8f54cd192dd573e876ae5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96c2c5ed54668ff02cc041326a58a56424181d9285b8f54cd192dd573e876ae5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1624464098063_danakil-4919106_1920_1280x626.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1624464098063_danakil-4919106_1920_1280x626.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/ethiopia-the-land-of-dust-is-where-you-get-spoiled-by-beauty-and-history\/","commentCount":"3","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/ethiopia-the-land-of-dust-is-where-you-get-spoiled-by-beauty-and-history\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-05-02 06:50:36","description":"This content is incredibly informative.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"watch tv live online free","url":"http:\/\/m.shopintampabay.com\/redirect.aspx?url=https:\/\/www.oneotv.com\/"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/ethiopia-the-land-of-dust-is-where-you-get-spoiled-by-beauty-and-history\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2026-04-26 10:30:00","description":"Your writing style is engaging.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Salomon maison margiela shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/Salomon-Women-Shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/ethiopia-the-land-of-dust-is-where-you-get-spoiled-by-beauty-and-history\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2026-04-24 04:55:23","description":"Clear, concise, and effective.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Women's shoes salomon","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/Salomon-Women-Shoes"}}],"about":["Uncategorized"],"wordCount":1669,"articleBody":"With the pandemic halting travel plans, many have turned to ‘virtual travelling’ to sate their wanderlust. For those yearning to catch a glimpse of other pockets of the world, TheHomeGround Asia brings you on a journey in Through the Eyes… . In this installation, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Social Service Fermin Diez reveals the colourful wonders of Ethiopia.For the uninitiated, Ethiopia is a star entry among the list of the world\u2019s remote destinations. The land-locked nation is peppered with astonishing landscapes and natural wonders \u2013 think multi-coloured salt plains that seem like a hallucinogenic dream, or a slew of abandoned medieval castles and rock-hewn churches set against a backdrop of jagged peaks and sweeping vistas. It has successfully resisted European colonialism over the years and boasts a peerless history that can only serve to fascinate. As one of Africa\u2019s fastest-growing economies, with a young population and booming cityscape, the country has been led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since 2018. He is the Africa’s youngest leader, and a 2019 Nobel Peace laureate, for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular resolving the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.Children in Ethiopia. (Photo by Su-Yen Wong)Interestingly, Ethiopia remains one of the least travelled places around the world. But it is not difficult to see why. After all, Ethiopia used to be a place all too synonymous with tragedy: drought, famine, political unrest and revolution had placed Ethiopia\u2019s tourism industry on the back burner. That has since changed.\u00a0According to World Bank estimates, in 2019, Ethiopia became the fastest growing economy in the region, albeit also one of the poorest, with a per capita income of US$850. A new state-of-the-art train, which began operations in 2018 and quickly became a symbol for Ethiopian ambition, now connects Addis Ababa, Ethiopia\u2019s capital, to the small neighbouring country of Djibouti. Such a feat emphasises the nation\u2019s potential to be even more interconnected in the future.\u00a0\u00a0Rock-hewn churches, a rich history and unique way of telling timeAn Ethiopian family outside their home. (Photo by Fermin Diez)There are several unique draws to Ethiopia and of which, the country\u2019s robust cultural history tops the chart.\u00a0Fermin Diez, 61 notes that there are nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, in Ethiopia. Says the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Social Service: \u201cMy wife and I have heard wonderful things about it and that motivated us to explore the country for two weeks by car.\u201d\u00a0Then, there\u2019s Ethiopia\u2019s acclaimed moniker \u201cthe cradle of humankind\u201d, bestowed after the discovery of a 3.2 million-year-old fossil of a hominid (known as \u201cLucy\u201d, from the Beatles song \u201cLucy in the Sky with Diamonds\u201d), which was the earliest hominid skeleton to be found in 1974.\u201cWhen I first heard about Ethiopia in the 1980s, my impression of the country was very much influenced by the famine and hunger crisis faced by the country then,\u201d Dr Diez adds, referring to the 1985 Live Aid concert that was held at Wembley Stadium in London, and featured performances by megastars, such as Madonna, Elton John and David Bowie.\u00a0\u201cWe were hugely surprised as we traversed the country and discovered fields of wheat, maize, barley, that extended for miles like a verdant patchwork quilt.\u201dA pilgrim in Lalibela, a town in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. (Photo by St\u00e9phane Hermellin \/ Unsplash)In a country that has been largely untouched by European colonialism, Ethiopia\u2019s way of life is both an enigma and wholly unique. The country\u2019s religion and culture remain largely homegrown, and its locals are proud of their country\u2019s beauty and progress. For starters, Ethiopians express time according to a 12-hour day; the day begins at 6am and 7am is considered to be the first hour of the day. While the religion in Ethiopia consists of a number of faiths including Christianity, Islam, Jewish and more, the majority of its population follow Orthodox Christianity.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a very ancient land with plenty of biblical accounts, such as the story of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba, based upon it,\u201d says Dr Diez.On how enlightening it was to see a different form of iconography in places of worship, the seasoned traveller adds: \u201cMy wife and I were quite surprised with the depictions of a Black Jesus Christ, angels and even the Virgin Mary. It was not what we were used to, but it makes perfect sense in their context.\u201dOne of the monuments, Church of Saint George, in Lalibela.\u00a0 (Photo by Heiss \/ Pixabay)No trip to Ethiopia is complete without a stop at the town of Lalibela. Situated in the North, the seemingly rural town is bridled with rock-hewn churches that date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Still in a relatively well-preserved state, Lonely Planet calls these churches Orthodox Christianity at its most raw and powerful, with architecture adorned with paintings, and the occasional soft chants from priests and pilgrims.Dr Diez, who was from Venezuela and has since become a Singaporean citizen, reminisces: \u201cObserving the white-robed pilgrims chant, sing and worship was a mystical experience.\u201dThe most inhospitable place on earthIn the north-eastern fringes of Ethiopia, lies the Danakil Desert, home of the Afar tribe who used to practise cannibalism and sadistic rituals. These tribesmen were once notorious for slicing off foreign intruders\u2019 testicles as a form of greeting; a ferocious act and way of life believed to have been mirrored from the unforgiving terrains they are surrounded with. But Afar people have long given up these ways and instead embraced lives as nomadic herders or salt harvesters.\u00a0A boiling pit crater of the Erta Al\u00e9 volcano in Ethiopia\u2019s Danakil Depression. (Photo by Marc Szeglat \/ Unsplash)In the Danakil Desert, the arid moonscape is blistered with fissures and faults on the ground. There is rarely rain in the area and temperatures easily hit 40\u02daC. Sometimes, molten magma oozes from beneath the Earth. Other times, the lakes spew flames. The desert is also dominated by luminescent ponds of yellows and greens that bubble like a boiling cauldron and emit a poisonous miasma of chlorine and sulphur gases.Despite all the geological drama, the desert is mineral-rich and many of the Afar people harvest salt for living there: Under the excruciating desert heat, they mine up salt deposits and cut them up into blocks before loading them onto camels and exporting them to local markets.The multi-coloured salt plains in the Danakil Desert. (Photo by Jorge Tung \/ Unsplash)This very violent landscape is also home to the Danakil Depression, a plain that lies at the triple junction of three tectonic plates, which is otherwise known as \u201cthe lowest, the driest, the hottest and the most inhospitable place on Earth\u201d or \u201cGateway to Hell\u201d. Well-worth beholding, the Martian-like plain is a befuddling but gorgeous patchwork of salt fields, active underground volcanoes, and sulfuric lakes.Embrace peace at Lake TanaEscape the dusty Ethiopian towns and travel northwest from Ethiopia\u2019s capital, Addis Ababa, to Lake Tana, where you can immerse yourself in the rich biodiversity and history surrounding Ethiopia\u2019s largest lake.The gorgeous lake, with its lush tropical vegetation, is not only teeming with wildlife, it is also known to be the source of the Blue Nile River that spans across approximately 1,450 kilometres through Ethiopia and Sudan. The water at Lake Tana is inhabited by small pods of hippopotamus, while the region surrounding it is also home to countless species of endemic birds.The interior of a church monastery at Lake Tana adorned with colourful ecclesiastical art. (Photo by Marek Poplawski \/ Shutterstock)More significantly, visitors head to Laka Tana to embrace some of the finest mural arts in Ethiopia that adorn the walls of abandoned, but well-maintained, church monasteries that date back to the 14th century.\u201cThanks to their remote location, some of these venerated monasteries are very well-preserved,\u201d Dr Diez says. \u201cThe walls are covered with ecclesiastical art comprising colourful and vibrant murals that depict scenes from the Bible and the history of the Ethiopian church.\u201dHow to bring a slice of Ethiopia back homeAddressing the elephant in the room, Dr Diez cautions first-time travellers to Ethiopia to be mindful of their surroundings, especially in crowded areas. It would be wise to not mindlessly gaze at your phones while strolling the streets and limit your movements at night.\u00a0\u201cPickpockets almost got us in Addis Ababa,\u201d Dr Diez recounts. \u201cA couple of teenage kids managed to get a hold of my mobile phone in broad daylight but we managed to ward them off and recovered it.\u201dA girl grinds coffee beans during a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. (Photo by Taylor Wilcox \/ Unsplash)According to Dr Diez, the best time to visit Ethiopia is during the dry season that spans between September and April. Ethiopia is also known as the birthplace of coffee and it even has a Starbucks knockoff (with a logo, an interior d\u00e9cor and an employee apron that resemble any of the franchise outlets from the world\u2019s largest coffee chain) in Addis Ababa. Souvenir-wise, he suggests getting \u201ctons of coffee\u201d.Having lived in different pockets around the world, including New York City, S\u00e3o Paulo and Hong Kong, the seasoned globetrotter, who eventually settled in sunny Singapore in 2007, is still not quite done with Ethiopia yet. \u201cEthiopia was beautiful, exciting and yet down to Earth. I still miss the wonderful people, music, food, landscapes and history,\u201d he says, expressing his interest to return.\u00a0\u00a0Sharing one of his best memories of Ethiopia, he says: \u201cRemember the Ents, the talking trees in the Lord of the Rings, I think we found them… in the southern part of Ethiopia!\u201dAccording to Fermin Diez, some of the trees located in Ethiopia resemble the likes of the Ents, a fantasy creature from Lord of the Rings. (Photo by Su-Yen Wong)Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Uncategorized","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ethiopia, the land of \u2018dust\u2019, is where you get spoiled by beauty and history","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/ethiopia-the-land-of-dust-is-where-you-get-spoiled-by-beauty-and-history\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]